1902] CURRENT LITERATURE 233 



The first number is a paper by Harvey Monroe Hall,^ entitled " A botani- 

 cal survey of San Jacinto mountain". The general features of the mountain 

 as to position, topography, soil, climate, and geology are given. This is fol- 

 lowed by an account of the plant distribution, both on the basis of life zones 

 and phytogeographic formations. The latter are presented as chaparral, for- 

 ests, undergrowth, meadows, riparian formation, pond formation, and crest 

 formation. The factors affecting plant distribution are discussed under the 

 heads of altitude, temperature, moisture, slope exposure, desert winds, rock 

 surface, avalanches, land slides, and water courses. The flora is said to be 

 composed of distinct boreal and austral elements, with an admixture of cer- 

 tain Arizonan and New Mexican species. A catalogue of the species collected 

 in or above the yellow pine belt includes 9 gymnosperms, 'jZ monocotyledons, 

 and 365 dictotyledons. New species are described in Elymus, Stipa, Oxy- 

 theca, Potentilla (2), and Erigeron.— J. M. C. 



F. Heydrich7 has presented a novel theory as to the homology of the 

 tetrasporangium in the Rhodophyceae, This structure he regards as the 

 predecessor of the cystocarp and hence a true sporophyte. The idea is at 

 least a suggestive one, but its establishment would require a far more careful 

 and thorough investigation than the author apparently has made. He bases 

 his work on Oltmann's studies, where it has been shown that the fertilized 

 nucleus of the carpogonium passes out into the auxiliary cell and there by 

 ■division gives rise to the spores. This nucleus, however, never undergoes a 

 secondary fusion with the auxiliary nucleus. Heydrich finds that two cells 

 are concerned with the production of the tetrasporangium. These cells arise 

 from a pericentral cell of a branch, homologous with the cell and branch from 

 which the procarp arises. The nucleus of the cell nearest the parent branch* 

 the stalk cell, he considers as the fertile energid. This nucleus now divides' 

 one daughter nucleus remaining in the stalk cell, the other passing to the 

 distal cell, which is now the tetrasporangium mother cell. No nuclear fusion 

 takes place, but instead the original nucleus breaks down, possibly contribut- 

 ing somewhat in the way of food to the immigrant. The spores all arise from 

 the entering nucleus. This is a striking parallel with the behavior of the fer- 

 tilized nucleus of the carpogonium as reported by Oltmann and others. 



The examination embraces quite a wide range of forms, including repre- 

 sentatives of both the zonate and tripartite types of division, in all of which 

 these conditions are true. Lack of detail in the figures, brief treatment of 

 Tnany important stages, homologizing structures, in some cases on external 

 appearance alone, together with dogmatic statements as to the kinship of 

 nuclei when no mitotic figures are shown, fail to carry the conviction that this 



*Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. i: 1-140.//J. 1-14. 1902. 



' Das Tetrasporangium der Fiorideen ein Vorlaufer der sexuellen Fortpflanzung. 

 -Bibliotheca Botanica 57. 



